The Beach Boys Make History

[BeauJangles]

Alright, everyone. It's time to get out the suntan oil, put on your sandals, grab your baggies, (swim trunks) and wax up your surf boards. Let's hit the beach! Surf's up! Bonsai, and Kowabunga! Okay, I'm calming down now. Today in 1966, The Beach Boys put out legendary LP, Pet Sounds. This was a landmark album for the guys, they'd been popular with California and the rest of the country as well for a number of years. I loved them! Songs like, God Only Knows, The Sloop John B, and Wouldn't It Be Nice, were lovely tunes. Good Vibrations was recorded and released as single hit song soon after and not on the album. I saw The Beach Boys twice in concert and boy, were they terrific. Let's have a look at their career.

 

May 16 — in history

This Day In History...

President acquitted'Pet Sounds' hits storesMao's power grabCigarettes get tarred

Beach Boys release landmark album

The Beach Boys release 'Pet Sounds,' which showcases Brian Wilson's elaborate production and personal approach to songwriting. The album is not an instant smash in the U.S., but will go on to influence the experimental sounds of the psychedelic-rock era and generations of musicians to come.

[BeauJangles]

Pet Sounds was said to have deeply inspired Beatle Paul McCartney into composing his songs on the heavily psychedelia oriented album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band. Well, honestly I see little in relation to either. But if Sir Paul says so, I'll go with that. The songs that were mentioned in my last post were great tunes. All top 40 hits on the AM dial. Good Vibrations was released that summer. It's about as psychedelic as beach music gets. 

While my sister and I didn't collect a lot of their albums, due to the Beatlemania thing, we did have a number of their 45 rpm single records. The Beach Boys were supposedly American as apple pie. Honest, clean and upstanding. So it would seem. There's more than meets the eyes. Leader Brian Wilson and his brother Dennis both struggled with issues of illicit drugs. Brian overcame it, but Dennis succumbed.   

The rest had various things, such as alcohol and nicotine addictions. So, not so squeeky clean after all. Well, no one is perfect. This was the 60's after all. A lot musicians and entertainers during these years of radical changes and turmoil did. It went with the territory. Still does. I do have two different Best Of CD's by the guys for the slightly different hit songs that were and still are meaningful. These are treasures.  

Edited May 16, 2020 by BeauJangles

[branchesofHim]

47 minutes ago, BeauJangles said:

The rest had various things, such as alcohol and nicotine addictions. So, not so squeeky clean after all. Well, no one is perfect. This was the 60's after all. A lot musicians and entertainers during these years of radical changes and turmoil did. It went with the territory. Still does.

That was truly good music! Beach Boys and Beatles on 45s and LPs, my dad used to have all of them. I wonder what they'll say at the Final Judgement about it all. Shalom.

[BeauJangles]

22 minutes ago, branchesofHim said:

That was truly good music! Beach Boys and Beatles on 45s and LPs, my dad used to have all of them. I wonder what they'll say at the Final Judgement about it all. Shalom.

Yeah, they were great and so was their music. But for the sake of foreknowing their eternity, I have no idea, brother. Brian Wilson wasn't exactly a heathen either. I'm sure you do realize this. We can't make anyone's call on the Judgement Day, can we? Shabbat Shalom. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by BeauJangles

[branchesofHim]

1 minute ago, BeauJangles said:

I have no idea, brother. Brian wasn't exactly a heathen either. I'm sure you do realize this. We can't make anyone's call on the Judgement Day, can we? Shabbat Shalom. .

Amen indeed. Speaking of which, my grandmother told me years ago that she'd sent Elvis Presley some Gospel books and tapes in early 1977 (the year he later was reported to have died of an overdose). She was married to an evangelist and truly had a heart for sharing Jesus with everyone. It turns out that she knew the housekeeper at Elvis' home. After sending the Gospel items, the housekeeper told her that Elvis spent days in his room listening to the tapes and reading the books.

Does this mean he got saved? I couldn't tell you. But I think many of us are going to be surprised who we see in Heaven one day. God looks at things much differently that we do as people. He looks at the heart. Shalom

[BeauJangles]

3 minutes ago, branchesofHim said:

Amen indeed. Speaking of which, my grandmother told me years ago that she'd sent Elvis Presley some Gospel books and tapes in early 1977 (the year he later was reported to have died of an overdose). She was married to an evangelist and truly had a heart for sharing Jesus with everyone. It turns out that she knew the housekeeper at Elvis' home. After sending the Gospel items, the housekeeper told her that Elvis spent days in his room listening to the tapes and reading the books.

Does this mean he got saved? I couldn't tell you. But I think many of us are going to be surprised who we see in Heaven one day. God looks at things much differently that we do as people. He looks at the heart. Shalom

Ah. Yeah, Elvis. Greatly admired by The Beatles and goodness knows countless millions over the years. He was the King of Rock 'n' Roll by all means. Let's blame him, he started all this! haha! Anyway, I'm sure Elvis did have probably more than many others for the sake of having Jesus in his heart. We're off topic already, but that's okay on my threads here. Presley did gospel albums among the rockabilly and lovely ballads also. Was he saved? I'm pretty sure he was. He was a hopeless addict to amphetamines, sedative/hypnotics, and narcotics also. It ruined his health, marriage, fatherhood, but his friends could be bought and sold. But yeah, the pills took him out. Well, that's Elvis. God bless him. 

[Henry_iain]

so I am awaiting threads for the rolling stones (or strolling bones whichever you prefer), abba, queen and Simon and Garfunkel. Maybe also Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits and CCR? Lets face it all the best music was written before 2000

 

I love the beach boys but they always seem to be plagued by tragedy. I always feel sorry for Brian Wilson. He 

[BeauJangles]

26 minutes ago, Henry_iain said:

so I am awaiting threads for the rolling stones (or strolling bones whichever you prefer), abba, queen and Simon and Garfunkel. Maybe also Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits and CCR? Lets face it all the best music was written before 2000

Oh, no! Don't get me started on that! haha! We could end up in trouble! I thought perhaps this would stay a pretty decent thread, as many of us really did enjoy the upbeat music the Beach Boys brought to the world. 

26 minutes ago, Henry_iain said:

I love the beach boys but they always seem to be plagued by tragedy. I always feel sorry for Brian Wilson.

Yeah, so it would seem. Brian appeared at the first concert I was able to attend, but couldn't make it the second time around. He just wasn't in the mood I guess? Sometime before Pet Sounds even came out, Brian had decided to compose but not perform with The Beach Boys live. It was great to see him the first time. I felt honored, really. What a talented musician and singer he was. They had a barbershop quartet kind of harmony to their sound. Excellent!

Edited May 16, 2020 by BeauJangles

[Debp]

5 hours ago, BeauJangles said:

Alright, everyone. It's time to get out the suntan oil, put on your sandals, grab your baggies, (swim trunks) and wax up your surf boards. Let's hit the beach! Surf's up! Bonsai, and Kowabunga! Okay, I'm calming down now.

You're on a roll now.... When is MoTown coming up?

Actually I only heard the Beach Boys when the radio played them.   Was a happy sound they had.

[BeauJangles]

9 minutes ago, Debp said:

You're on a roll now.... When is MoTown coming up?

Actually I only heard the Beach Boys when the radio played them.   Was a happy sound they had.

Thanks, Debbie. This one certainly has potential. The Beach Boys brought their own sense of style and fashion aside from the music. Surfwear was extremely popular even this far from the Pacific Ocean. Surfer shirts, with the 4" wide stripes, loose baggy long swim trunks, shaggy swept across the forehead hair for guys, and longer styles for girls too. It was really hip to get a suntan if you could. 

I remember Saint Christopher necklaces being the cool thing to wear. Yeah, my sister and I had at least one or more of them. Sis had seven at one time. One for everyday of the week. Catholic wear? Oh, goodness yes. We didn't pay attention to that, being Church of Christ folks. Just don't let the minister know! When I was living in Morro Bay, guys and gals used them instead of "promise rings".  

Motown? What?